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Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
@SpatulaQueen.. i drink Almond Breeze almost exclusively now too, have been for a while.. i also noticed the longer shelf life, which is good for me since i live alone, and i can get a good two full weeks out of it.. plus i can keep unopened containers of it always on hand since the packaging is shelf-stable.. i prefer the Unsweetened Vanilla variety.. it's only 40 calories per cup, and no refined sugars and still tastes good, love the creaminess too
i've tried almost every milk alternative at least once, just to see what they're like, and Blue Diamond is definitely the keeper.. there was always at least one con about all the others, either too thin, separated when mixed with coffee or tea, odd aftertaste, too high cal, etc.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
honestly, none..
a few years back i used to drink vanilla coke almost exclusively, and root beer every now and then, but i can't even finish a soda (or pop as we call it here lol) anymore because they're just too sweet to me.. after drinking mainly water for so long now, anything else is too much
the closest thing to soda i drink now is sparkling naturally flavored water.. i usually just save my calories and flavor for actual food
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
@finsbigfan.. i'm with you on the Haagen-Dazs Sticky Toffee Pudding, which unfortunately has been discontinued :(
it was the winner of the first Scoop flavor contest that aired on Food Network a couple years back, and it was amazing.. i love anything brown-sugary, caramely, warm spices.. hopefully they bring it back seasonally as a limited edition
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Do You Eat the Bruised Parts of Bananas?
wow, i had no idea some people actually cut out bruised spots of bananas lol.. for me it's always been a total non-issue, i don't even think about it, i just eat the banana
now if it's to the point where the whole thing is brown and starting to get gooey, that's when it's time for the freezer for smoothies, or, if it's too far gone, just time to compost it
still can't believe some people cut bruised chunks from bananas lol
Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
@SpatulaQueen.. i drink Almond Breeze almost exclusively now too, have been for a while.. i also noticed the longer shelf life, which is good for me since i live alone, and i can get a good two full weeks out of it.. plus i can keep unopened containers of it always on hand since the packaging is shelf-stable.. i prefer the Unsweetened Vanilla variety.. it's only 40 calories per cup, and no refined sugars and still tastes good, love the creaminess too
i've tried almost every milk alternative at least once, just to see what they're like, and Blue Diamond is definitely the keeper.. there was always at least one con about all the others, either too thin, separated when mixed with coffee or tea, odd aftertaste, too high cal, etc.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
honestly, none..
a few years back i used to drink vanilla coke almost exclusively, and root beer every now and then, but i can't even finish a soda (or pop as we call it here lol) anymore because they're just too sweet to me.. after drinking mainly water for so long now, anything else is too much
the closest thing to soda i drink now is sparkling naturally flavored water.. i usually just save my calories and flavor for actual food
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
@finsbigfan.. i'm with you on the Haagen-Dazs Sticky Toffee Pudding, which unfortunately has been discontinued :(
it was the winner of the first Scoop flavor contest that aired on Food Network a couple years back, and it was amazing.. i love anything brown-sugary, caramely, warm spices.. hopefully they bring it back seasonally as a limited edition
Dear Whole Foods,
@Paula.. what Whole Foods location is this that you're talking about? i've been to several now and had nothing but good experiences, so it's very surprising to hear what bad experience you've had.. definitely not the norm for Whole Foods in general
McCafe: McDonald's New Fancier, Pricier Coffee
I tried a latte, which I ordered just plain, which I thought would have meant just espresso and milk, but what I got was still cloyingly sweet. Do they not offer just plain lattes, unsweetened? On top of that, it had a bad, artificial, chemical-like aftertaste.
I don't care how cheap it is, I can't say I'd be willing to pay for that again. I'll stick to Starbucks and the Allegro coffee bar at my Whole Foods.
Your Oldest Cookbook?
I think it's The Art of Fine Baking by Paula Peck, copyright 1961.. although I was thinking it was much older than that based on its condition lol
I don't go there, because I can't eat the food
Paula Deen has made the ramen noodle salad...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chinese-salad-recipe/index.html
shocking, I know lol
How Does the FDA Warning Against Peanut Butter Affect You?
to yayajac: an article i just read said they are assuming the contamination happened after the nuts had already became peanut butter/paste, since the roasting process of the nuts would heat them to a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria
i'm not worried about any jarred peanut butter, just peanut butter-containing products.. i'm holding off on eating any products i have to see what companies continue to announce recalls
ironically enough, a few days before the recalls, i had just ordered several bags of Bear Naked Peanut Butter granola from their website.. so far so good though, they haven't made any recalls, hope it stays that way
Is my non-stick skillet killing me?
you can't really go wrong with All-Clad, that is until you look at the prices lol..
but if you're looking for a non-stick that wouldn't have to be replaced after a while, and one that isn't potentially dangerous (their non-stick has no PFOAs, which is the chemical in non-stick surfaces that can be toxic), then All-Clad would be it
they're very pricey, but they'll basically last you forever if taken care of properly (NEVER put the non-stick in a dishwasher).. i've been able to get a few of mine from stores or websites having specials, and i love them
Calphalon would probably be the next best bet though if All-Clad is too pricey.. though i'm not sure if their non-stick contains PFOAs
Does Your Grocery Store Have You Crying Tears of Joy?
it's Whole Foods only for me.. no one beats them in quality and standards..
i know i can walk into any Whole Foods and no matter what i pick up, i know it's been reviewed and approved to not contain anything artificial and no artificial trans fats.. and i know that any animal products there were produced humanely, no antibiotics, hormones, animal byproducts, fed all vegetarian diets.. it's just nice peace of mind to shop in a place like that, they actually care about what they're selling you
not to mention the great customer service.. they go above and beyond compared to other grocers to help and satisfy the customers
and as long as you're able to restrain from throwing a bunch of the more extravagent items they offer and just shop as you would if you were in a regular grocery store, you can find plenty of great value.. love Whole Foods
The Honeycrisps are here!!!
i've bought quite a few already.. and i was excited when i saw organic Honeykrisps at my Whole Foods.. they're extra pricey, 3.49/lb, but worth it for the limited time they're around and for the flavor and juciness
my other favorites are Jonagold, Fuji, Braeburn, and Gala.. but i love pretty much all apples, Red Delicious maybe being the exception
How Food Porn Is Like Real Porn
Actually Rachael really did pose for those pics, and that is her body.. albeit heavily airbrushed and altered, but it was actually her posing.
Food Network... Let's give them a hand!
Love everything about Ina and her show, definitely keep her..
Ellie Krieger too, love her and her ideals.. a show about healthy cooking without a fad diet twist or using ridiculous and unappealing igredient substitutions.. just simple, nutritious, and sensible eating.. keep
And I have to say I love Rachael too, not all of her recipes are ones that I would personally try, especially from the older days, but these days she's somewhat more refined, and since launching her Yum-O organization her focus has definitely shifted from mounds of cheese on everything to more healthful recipes
I do love Paula, but not so much her recipes.. she's one of the ones I would keep more for entertainment value, and an occasional dessert I'd like to try.. but I agree with getting rid of Paula's Party, UNLESS they take it back to the original format when it was intimate and charming, not so glitz and showbiz, where she didn't have a guest every show and it was just her and the small audience filmed at her brother's restaurant
Keep Alton, Giada, Tyler, Bobby (if it's Throwdown, I never watch his grilling shows), and possibly a couple of the newbies.. i really like Ask Aida and the premise of the show
And please bring back Gale Gand.. now there are no shows dedicated to just dessert, and she's someone highly respected who actually knows her stuff when it comes to sweets and pastry.. as an aspiring pastry chef I always looked forward to any tips and knowlege she passed on during the episodes
Oh yeah, and one old school guilty pleasure.. Two Hot Tamales, who remembers that one? lol
14 Granola Brands Taste-Tested Head-to-Head
Bear Naked is the best, definitely my favorite granola. I pretty much love all their flavors, but my very favorite might be the Mango Agave Almond from the Native line.
Who exactly told you the Native line wasn't being produced anymore? I work at Whole Foods and we sell three different Native flavors: the Mango Agave Almond, Maple Hemp Walnut, and Yumberry Gogi Currant. It's actually still a relatively new product, at least in my store. I haven't heard anything about it being discontinued.
Feed is another one of my favorite brands, I hope they come out with more flavors. I really like the Kashi Mountain Medley granola too.
I've made my own granola a few times, and it came out great, and it really is much more economical to make your own. For some reason though I still buy it much more often than I make it, convenience I guess, plus Bear Naked is as good as homemade in my opinion. And since a lot of their flavors get most of their sweetness from unrefined sugars, and the fat is mostly all good fat from nuts and seeds, I see no reason to feel bad about buying to my granola-loving heart's content :)
Is Whole Foods Becoming Costco with a Side Order of Trader Joe's?
i've always noticed the competitive pricing since i've been shopping at my local Whole Foods
sure, a lot of the produce is more expensive, mostly because a majority of it is organic, and that's just the nature of the industry.. same goes for the meat, the meat at WF is held to a stricter, higher standard.. all-natural, all vegetarian diet, humane living conditions, no hormones/antibiotics, etc.. so even the non-organic meat is going to be more expensive, and i for one am more than willing to pay a premium to get food that i can trust in and know is safe and of high quality
but as for the grocery items, there are a ton of deals, especially on the private label 365 Everyday value line.. not only are those products also held to certain strict standards, but they're usually even cheaper than big name conventional brands, which often are comprised of lower quality ingredients
it's easy to go into a WF and see the expensive and exotic items, they simply offer more than conventional stores, but if you look beyond that and just go in with the same mindset you would have going into a conventional store - which is just to get what you need, nothing extravagent - then it's more than possible to get the same or even greater value
WF is just the perfect store for me.. their standards, not to mention the top notch customer service, is more than enough to keep me a happily devoted customer
10 Tips for Homemade Ice Cream Success
There's a recipe for homemade ice cream stabilized with gelatin at this link:
http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/homemade.html
I've also read that you can use guar gum, xanthan gum, and other similar thickeners/stabilizers.. they'll all help to absorb excess water in the mixes and keep them from forming crystals and help the ice cream last a lot longer in the freezer without getting too hard and losing texture or flavor
Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us, Part 5: Butter, Mayo, Whiz Cheese Spread
I love Paula.. don't love her recipes, but I love Paula. Wait, I take it back, I do like some of her dessert recipes. I leave the high calories and 'bad' fat out of my everyday meals and save it for desserts. But even if I didn't like a single one of her recipes, she's just too damn fun lol
Throwdown: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's Southern Style Chicken
I can't say I eat fast food anymore, but if I had to choose, I'd definitely go with Chick-fil-A.
The McDonald's version has up to 1.5 grams trans fat, bleh, compared to CFA's zero. And those buttery buns, well, neither use actual butter. CFA's is butter flavored vegetable oil, and McD's is liquid margarine. Only thing McD's version has over CFA's is that CFA's is made with MSG.
But I guess the debate is flavor, so in that case, none of that exactly matters does it? lol
How to Decode PLU Stickers on Produce
you really don't have to remember even that much though, because any organic item will almost always say "organic" on the sticker along with the PLU code
i have yet to see a GMO item though.. and since i work at Whole Foods Market, i thankfully never will lol
Do You Eat the Bruised Parts of Bananas?
Who gives a shit?! Just put in your fucking mouths!
Idiots!
Do You Eat the Bruised Parts of Bananas?
I'm so glad there are people in this world that care about this kind of stuff. Thank you for being alive fellow Serious Eaters.
As for bananas? I can wait until they're between dalmation and black lab. The black labs get put in banana bread.
*slurp*!
Do You Eat the Bruised Parts of Bananas?
Once it starts turning brown and gettting spotty it goes to bread. I really don't think I could eat the overripe bits otherwise.
14 Granola Brands Taste-Tested Head-to-Head
I've had Bear Naked, Galaxy, and Artisanal granolas. Bear Naked is my chief brand, can't help it, the stuff's GOOD lol! But, I'm also atrracted to the Galaxy brand because I love it calorie and fat content, are great. Artisanal is good too and has alittle more nutrients&minerals in it than the other 2, yet all 3 are very healthy. Though BN is my main brand, I occassionaly switch between these 3 brands, due to their fat, calorie, carb and sugar contents are in the range that I like, unlike some other brands which are, let's say, a wee bit too much in those areas. :-)
14 Granola Brands Taste-Tested Head-to-Head
I've had Artisanal, Bear Naked and Galaxy. I frequent Bear Naked the most, hey, the stuff's GOOD! But, I also have had Galaxy, which is yummy too! Also, I love the calorie and fat content of Galaxy aswell, that's what atrracts me to that brand, but I'm still faithful to Bear Naked too! Artisanal is really good too, and loaded with more nutrients than the other brands I've noticed. # basically great brands with a fat,calorie, carb range I like.
Throwdown: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's Southern Style Chicken
it would have to be hands down to chick fil a. take into consideration the quality of their food as well as price point, flavor and texture. i've had both. i was Extremely disappointed with mcdonalds (as always really). i'm not one for take out and fast food however knowing that chick fil a hand batters each breast, fresh (Actually Fresh!) is a winner. i worked at a mcdonalds - it makes no sense how they are comparable - to me its a sad sad copy cat. oh, PS...mcdonald's "southern style" chicken on a biscuit is also a joke.
Throwdown: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's Southern Style Chicken
I really hate pickles on a chicken sandwich period, no matter who makes it! I always pick them off!
Throwdown: Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald's Southern Style Chicken
Chick-Fil-A definitely has the better sandwich but McDonald's is not a bad second if you can't get to CFA! McDonald's is open later and on Sundays!
Dear Whole Foods,
Once you bite into a Great A&P 150th anniversary chocolate chunk cookie, that taste will make you forever foresake Whole Paycheck.
Head on over to any A&P Fresh and rediscover the origins of foodie paradise, great food at fantastic savings.
Can't beat that A&P!!!
Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
Hemp milk is obtained from the commercial hemp plant. It is most eco-friendly option. It is good for children. It is rich in omega 3 and 6. It has many health benefits like it has inflammation reducing properties, it is useful for people with sun damaged skin, diabetic person, it maintains ideal blood sugar levels in the body etc. For more details on hemp milk, refer Hemp milk
Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for doing the work for me. I agree Silk is the best of the soys... I haven't tried many of the others with great success.
My son has allergies to cow's milk and goat is a great sub. in cooked foods. It tastes light in a white sauce or mashed potatoes instead of cow's milk or cream. And is fantastic in a sheep & goat's milk cheese Mac&Cheese.
Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
Whoever tasted soy milk don't know real soy milk. Edensoy is the REAL soy milk in the market in US. The rest of them taste like water to me. Silk is made to American's taste!! I wish you could taste much better soy milk sold in Japan. You'll change your mind.
Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
I'm not a vegan nor am I a vegetarian, but I do use almond milk in my smoothies. I'm not lactose intolerant either. But for some reason, having milk with any kind of sweetness (in ice cream, in smoothies due to the fruit and honey) really bothers my stomach. Only when it's with sugar; I can (and frequently will) eat cheese all day long.
Hemp milk is vile, ugh. I like almond and soy the best...
Taste Test: Milks Not From a Cow
I'm vegan, by ethical choice, so I've tried many un-milks... Most non-vegans I know who have tried soymilk prefer Silk for its milk-like texture, very smooth. I like it too but it's expensive so I usually buy President's Choice Organics, which is fine. Almost everyone I know quite likes any kind of chocolate soymilk. And pretty much any plain or vanilla soymilk is good on cereal. Almond Breeze is good, particularly for baking, as are many other varieties of un-milks... I have only ever used oatmilk in baking. I have never tried hemp milk due to my experience with hemp "icecream" (Cool Hemp), which is completely disgusting. Rice Dream is good, it is like skim milk, but the nutritional value of rice milk is no where near that of soymilk, so I stick with that. In any case, it is completely bizarre for human beings to be drinking the milk of other animals... so whatever un-milk you choose, you are better off --both nutritionally and psychologically!
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I am not really big on soda anymore BUT last summer I was in Nags Head, NC and found the famous Cheerwine, a NC thing. It is fizzy cherry-flavored soda, not cherry cola, just cherry soda. It is out of this world delicious.
Last week when we were close to the border of NC and leaving for WV, I hit a supermarket and bought myself a 12 pack to take home to NJ. We can't get it here. It is my favorite soda in a really long time.
Otherwise I really like Cherry 7Up but they don't sell it in cans around here, just 2 liter bottles, which I have no room for in the refrigerator. I also love Crystal Light Wild Strawberry (comes in a powder that you mix with water) and their Citrus stuff too. Excellent mixed with some green tea! I make fusions of all kinds of things.
I have never liked Fresca. When I was a child, all the skinny cool girls drank the Diet Fresca and that was all they drank (that and lots of folks drank Tab) - neither of which I could get a tasting for. My favorite soda at the time was Pepsi - just plain Pepsi. To this day, I prefer plain Pepsi over anything Coke, don't know why. BUT I prefer Diet Coke to Diet Pepsi.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
I'm a firefighter, and our rehab vehicle would always have a dry mix powder of something called Squencher, it was sort of a generic Gatorade knock-off. There is nothing that tastes better than that stuff after a structure fire. It was randomly citrusy and just spectacular.
The Joys of Unnaturally Flavored Sodas
First of all, I love this post & reading all the comments - so many unknowns to me!
Fresca, LOVE! Just tried the Black Cherry which was excellent! Never thought to use it as a mixer!
Polar Orange Dry, which we picked up when our usual Lemon Seltzer was out; we didn't realize it was pop but loved it!
Tahitian Treat, good memories with this one! Somehow delicious with its sickening sweetness!
Ale-8-One, I can't believe it hasn't come up yet! It's an excellent ginger ale with a pun-y name. Maybe just a regional thing but you could only find it in KY where it's made forever. Then a few years ago, they started to allow it to be sold "'cross the river" in Cincy and southern OH. I loved this stuff!
Canada Dry Green Tea, a new favorite! Great combo (though a bit sweet) & such sparkling goodness!
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
Silver Moon's Praline Irish Creme .... out of this world and favorite sorbet is Silver Moon's Mango Mimosa, so delicious.
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
Maple Walnut ice cream from Christinas in Boston. Blood Orange sorbet from Ciao Bella.
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
Ditto on the pp who mentioned Publix ice cream. It's awesome! I recently made butterscotch ice cream. In fact. I'm going to finish it off RIGHT NOW.
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
Homemade strawberry ice-cream-although I recently made a great coconut ice-cream http://chocolateandcroissants.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html#5812076674809242402
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
On second thought I wonder why you "need to convince my spouse that "fancy" flavored ice cream." Let your spouse stick to the basics. Nothing wrong with that.
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra -- amazing dark chocolate ice cream on one side, very subtle caramel ice cream on the other, and a core of divine gooey caramel stuff. Perfect mixture of tastes.
On the other hand, worth going to Emack and Bolio on 78th and Amsterdam for Cosmic Crunch -- vanilla, I think, with chocolate chunks and pieces of ice cream cone, and maybe some kind of nut -- can't remember, but it's great -- especially with their sublime hot fudge sauce...
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
if you are in texas, anything by blue bell is wonderful.....my faves are key lime pie, mint choc chip and banana pudding. If you are in the Dallas area, try Milwalkee Joe's ice cream parlors..."Grandma Fred's New York Cheesecake" will change your life!
What's Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
@Embackus - Yes it is indeed a newer flavor and oh so good. I love Kopp's and don't know what I would ever do without them. Their German Apple Struesel is awesome too. We are getting into our ethnic fesitivals season here and Kopps' now runs their Festival of Flavors to correspond with those. This weekend is Polish Fest and on Friday they have Kolacki Custard. I had it last year and it was really, really good. Methinks I'm going to have to get a pint of it this year!
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Healthy & Delicious: Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Posted by Kristen Swensson, October 5, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Seriously Asian: All About Dumplings
Posted by Chichi Wang, September 25, 2009 at 5:45 PM
Seriously Italian: Farfalle with Zucchini and Gorgonzola
Posted by Gina DePalma, August 6, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Healthy & Delicious: Chicken Paprikash
Posted by Kristen Swensson, April 6, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Seriously Italian: Cinnamon Breakfast Toasts
Posted by Gina DePalma, March 19, 2009 at 8:30 AM
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Posted by Gina DePalma, February 13, 2009 at 2:15 PM
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wow, i had no idea some people actually cut out bruised spots of bananas lol.. for me it's always been a total non-issue, i don't even think about it, i just eat the banana
now if it's to the point where the whole thing is brown and starting to get gooey, that's when it's time for the freezer for smoothies, or, if it's too far gone, just time to compost it
still can't believe some people cut bruised chunks from bananas lol